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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27986556">Hellhound</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mislainieous/pseuds/Lainie'>Lainie (mislainieous)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourfavauthor/pseuds/yourfavauthor'>yourfavauthor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, BAMF Takaba Akihito, Dystopia, M/M, Non-Human Humanoid Society, Self-Hatred, Survivor Guilt, War, Were-Creatures, Werewolves, Wolf Pack, war hero</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:40:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27986556</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mislainieous/pseuds/Lainie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourfavauthor/pseuds/yourfavauthor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The fallen soldier meets the rising leader.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Asami Ryuichi/Takaba Akihito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yeeeeeep I bugged the hell out of my bestie, Lainie to join one more project with me lol she'll end up blocking my email.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The white fur of his tail was matted with dried blood, but the young wolf himself was mostly fine. He was used to the limping by now, and since he wasn't dragging his foot anymore, he just assumed it was going to be okay. </p><p>He could smell a number of wolf-men nearby, and that was oddly reassuring. Akihito didn't really like crowds, but he would take a wolf-man super pack over being in human territory any day; at least it meant he could sleep and eat something without constantly having to look over his shoulder. </p><p>His team alpha had been particularly good at scent trails, so they'd found this location from about a dozen miles away. "There's a bunch of our people in that direction", Naruhito had pointed out. "All the combat packs like ours are dying out. When this raid is over, we should go find our people and regroup." The war party agreed each one of them quietly eager about joining a bigger pack, with the safety its numbers offered, as well as the opportunity to pretend to have a normal life for a little while. </p><p> </p><p>Their little combat pack didn't make it. The only member to get out alive was himself, and he questioned his ability to protect his own, his right to survive when stronger soldiers had perished. Then again, Naruhito could have been right and he had just been a lucky little shit all along... If watching his friends dying in a lost war was something to be called "luck", then he had it in spades. </p><p>But the closer he got to his destination, the stranger the super pack's scent became. There were definitely wolf-men there, but not only that. The scent was confusing him, making him anxious, but this was his alpha's last command so he came. Besides, now that he was alone, he had nothing to lose. </p><p>Guarding the warehouse entrance was a bunch of dogs. Big ugly mutts, the type of dogs humans trained to attack on sight. Just great. They came at to him slowly, crouching low, snarling and growling, but he didn't pay them much mind. He was exhausted after fighting the human army with his former combat mates, but he still had enough energy left to tear apart these rude doggies if they stood between him and a bath, food and safety. He started to growl before realizing it; aggression now came so naturally, his wolfy ears forward and he glared direct eye contact with the biggest one of the bunch, daring it to try anything. Even in his human form, this aggressive stance couldn't be ignored, but dogs are dogs, not particularly known for logical decisions, and if one of them decided on fight instead of flight, chances were he was gonna have to kill them all.  </p><p>A furious mutt version of a German Shepherd stepped forward, and what a cutie she was. Tail tucked between her hind legs, ears flat against her head, body low and submissive, and a horizontal 'smile' showing off her sharp teeth, she wanted to show she was a strong opponent. Akihito huffed. 'You know you can't take me', he thought. Most dogs wouldn't jump a bear, a lion, or a werewolf - human form or not, no matter how brave they were. </p><p>But before he could transform himself into his “beefier” self, he heard a series of short whistles and rushed footsteps. "Hey doggie doggie doggie! Come here! Stay still, dammit." The dogs obeyed, but Aki wouldn't let his guard down with them still salivating at him like he was a piece of meat. The lad that came towards him muttered something into his radio and nodded at the answer as Akihito noticed the camera at the corner of the wall. </p><p>"Hey! I know you!" said the same voice. It was dark outside but wolves don't need to see things only with their eyes. Akihito recognized that scent, that wolf boy had been born into Aki's own family pack back when they thought the war against humans hadn't reached their country yet. Human missiles had destroyed their town, and a bunch of surviving pups were hidden away. He was a bit older and bigger than those little ones, so they left him in charge and told him "protect your brothers and sisters", even though there wasn't much he could've done. But that was then, and he wasn't gonna waste time on remembering his sob story now. </p><p>"Your scent is familiar," Akihito muttered, "brother." They didn't share the same blood, but still, home pack was family. </p><p>The wolf boy smiled. He was tall and blond, good looking even. His wolf ears and matching fluffy tail was a pale shade of brown. "You don't remember my name, uh? It's okay, don't sweat it. You can call me Takato, and yeah, we kids in the same pack. I regret to say it, but...  most of those people are not alive anymore." Aki nodded, he knew that already. "You're a soldier, right?"</p><p>Once again Aki nodded, and intrigued by the strange look in the boy's eyes, he quietly added "Hellhounds", his combat pack's name. </p><p>"O-Oh, no shit! H-Hellhounds?!" Takato noticed then the red armband on the newcomer's right upper arm. "I've heard about you guys! Everybody knows...!"</p><p>"Knows what?" Akihito wasn't in his best mood, and this wolf boy was just too loud and excited for his liking. </p><p>"That you guys are the best combat pack out there! Not even human war tanks can stop you! Our late alpha had the uptmost respect-"</p><p>Aki laughed a bit bitterly at that, the guys would've loved to’ve heard that. They couldn't beat a tank, but they were the best there was, a hell of a war party indeed. They stood against human armies left and right, trying to protect the condemned wolf-men of the city while their people ran and hid away. Everyone knew, extinction was always a possibility. Takato was looking at him awkwardly now. Maybe he finally realized that Aki was the only one standing there. </p><p>"Oh, don't feel bad. I probably shouldn't be here anyways."</p><p>"Don't say that!" Takato gasped, all somber and serious now. Aki decided he would rather deal with the loud happy version of him instead "I’m thankful you're alive. You're a hero."</p><p>The silence that followed was bitter, but Akihito had cried all the way there, so his tears were dry now. He cleared his throat, seriously needing to drink and have something to eat, and soon. As if he could read his thoughts, Takato smiled and said, "Well, welcome to the resistance. The warehouse here seems to be empty, but there's a passage to a secret facility underground. It's waaay down there and it’s huge, really. There's so many beast-men down there it's unbelievable."</p><p>"Beast-men?!" He glanced at the entrance of the warehouse, noticing a black haired head poking out from behind the huge door. That... wasn't a wolf. "You mean there are other beast-men living with wolf-men down there?" Akihito wasn't sure what he was feeling right now; he was disappointed, sure, but curious too. </p><p>"Just a few variations of canids, I promise! ~It’s not that bad, really. Try thinking of them as distant relatives, will you?"</p><p>He sighed. He was starving, exhausted, filthy, and it wasn't like he had much of a choice anyways. "Okay, whatever."</p><p>He knew it was prejudice on his part, but hell... Besides dog-men, he had never met another canid beast-man before and meeting many of them all of sudden was unsettling. His wolf instincts sure didn't feel like co-habitating with non-wolf beast-men. Then again, mankind hunting down all beast-men wasn't natural, either. He heard the guy talking into the radio again and waited for him to finish. </p><p> </p><p>"Takato." They were descending in the elevator now. "Sorry about my bad manners so far."</p><p>"It's okay, bro. I understand. I’m part of Phoenix, a search and rescue pack. We look for survivors to save, but most of time we're too late. That's a disheartening job. I feel like an idiot, that I should be trying harder, that the deaths are somehow my fault, even though it isn't. You know that, right?  The war goes on, and we're too small a band to help everybody. Sometimes I'm just like that, either lashing out, or trying to not cry. That's not me, you know. And you'll probably hear me apologizing more often than not, so, sorry in advance."</p><p>"It's okay." Aki smiled a little. He liked this guy. </p><p>While getting down there was quite the experience, when they arrived, Aki wasn't used to that many people around him. But he’d had a mission where he'd had to infiltrate, then transport and hide a bomb within the human controlled sectors of the city, wolf ears hidden under a baseball cap, tail uncomfortably tucked inside grey sweatpants. Back then he'd concentered on his mission and he'd been okay, so being around other beast-men like him shouldn't be all that bad. He swallowed his nervousness and started walking. Takato was quiet for once, actually everyone was quiet, looking at him with wide eyes, none of them unfriendly, but some had a slightly creepy vibe. He was probably still too tweaked from the battle. They didn't look at him judgingly, but rather... with respect and awe... </p><p>"That's one of them...", he heard someone murmur. Slowly the whispers become more audible "He's a Hellhound?" "Those guys just kept on fighting...", "... they saved our lives", "...it's true, many people in the city were still alive thanks to them..." "…the last one standing..."</p><p>"Ugh," Takato muttered to him. "I'm afraid Kou must have heard us at the gate. Please forgive him, sometimes he's such a child."</p><p>Akihito considered. Kou must be the black haired coyote-boy that peeped from behind the large warehouse gates. The only reason he recognized the scent was due to his military training. Good to know sniffing strange things for so many hours were finally gonna be put to use. Naruhito-san would've had a good laugh. </p><p>A girl with red tufted ears started clapping, all smiles and cheers. Oh God, Aki wasn't gonna survive this place. Everyone followed suite and he was received with a standing ovation. A true hero, huh? He didn't feel like he deserved any of it, but these people seemed on this side of desperately hopeful, and he didn't have the heart to be mean or rude. He bowed for a good amount of time and when the applause died out, Fluffy Ears came up to him, reaching her hand out for an effusive shake. </p><p>"I'm Momohara Ai, but you can call me Momo". </p><p>"Nice to meet you, Momo 'Fluffy Ears'.  He blushed, realizing what he’d said out loud, but not backing down. "Takaba Akihito". </p><p>Aki's eyes flicked from Momo to Takato, and his pack mate laughed, whispering "She's a wolf, I swear." </p><p>"What I am is a doctor. Let me tend to you."</p><p>"I'm fine, thank you."</p><p>"Don't be silly!" she scolded, reaching again to grab his hand, but this time he dodged. She didn't seem to take offence. "You're limping and smelling of old blood and the start of an infection. Come with me. Now."</p><p>It would take him some time to adjust. The different scents bothered him at first because he really didn't know whose smell matched with whom was trustworthy. All this new information one would get from different individual scents were being mixed together and shoved at him, so of course he was bothered. 'Specially since he was a combat wolf, always on the lookout for threats wherever he went. But with a bit of mental discipline, he calmed himself down; after all, he knew he was surrounded by allies for once, and Takato was staying by his side. He really did seem to understand what it was like out there. He didn't push or prod or anything, just stayed nearby and stopped people from getting too close. He could perceive the different canids all around him, but their scents weren't really offending his olfactory senses, and they didn't stink... well, most of them didn't, anyways. </p><p>The place still looked warehouse-like, with high walls and boxes stacked here and there and he wondered what kinda place it really was. They walked into an open area full of people, but it wasn't cramped, and if their demeanors were anything to go by, it was a passive/neutral facility. All different kinds of foxy, doggie and wolfy ears and tails made his inner pup want to stare openly at the different types of people. But the ones who paid attention to his arrival looked him over rather intently, so he supposed it was only fair for him to stare back a little himself.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't a paradise, though. He could see wounded being cared for, some people in ragged clothing (recent arrivals, like him?), and other obvious battle survivors, the reminder that the war was still on out there, destroying beast-men lives no matter what species they were. But good food was available to whoever stood in line to get their fair share. It wasn't a bad place and he started to feel a little bit more at ease now. </p><p>Soon they arrived at the medical area, and Takato touched his shoulder. "She's gonna take care of you now, but soon enough Kou will bring you something to drink with your food."</p><p>"Food? As in raw meat?"</p><p>"Only the best for those fighting to protect us!"</p><p>Aki wasn't afraid or anything, but the only person somewhat familiar around him was Takato, who's scent reminded him of his childhood pack, and as fatigued as he was, he didn't want to be left alone with strangers. "Where are you going?"</p><p>Takato grinned, blushing again a little. "I will be back, don't worry. We have a lot to talk about, but for now, I have to report to the Alpha's team. Besides, I need to make sure someone gets you a warm bath."</p><p>"W-who should I report to?"</p><p>Takato's smile faltered a little bit. "The Alpha, I guess?” He shrugged; it was beyond his pay grade. “I'll find out."</p><p>'Wait. This super pack has a sole alpha?' How had he not considered that until this moment? Of course there had to be a leader somewhere, but just one person running the whole show? Woah. </p><p>"Anyways, see you later." The wolf lad waved am affable goodbye and left. </p><p>Before Aki could decide to turn and go after him, Momo grabbed the back of his shirt collar and said "Let's fix you up now, shall we?"</p><p> </p><p>The medical theatre wasn't really all that comfortable but it was well kept, clean and seemingly well supplied. He sat on the examining bed, noticing how filthy his skin and clothes were. There was old blood from when he tried to drag the body of a fellow Hellhound out of a ditch under enemy fire. Oh shit, he just couldn't forget, can he...? Forcing himself to focus on the present, he looked at the head bowed down, examining him. Momo had big foxy...? Ears, right. Focus on the present. He could do it. </p><p>"Can I?" Aki asked and she looked up then nodded with a smile. He reached out to the girl's fluffy ears, rubbing the dark tip of one gently. "Are you really a wolf? These look more like fox ears." </p><p>She laughed, cleaning up his leg wound "I'm a maned wolf, from far to the south of here."</p><p>He stared at her long bright red hair streaked with dark tones near the middle as she spoke. "Imagine a red fox, but with long long legs. That's a maned wolf. There aren’ttoo many of us now, where I'm from, so I wouldn't expect many people has ever seen one of us."</p><p>"I hope you find your mate is a maned wolf with a family of his own, so you both can have puppies and your kind won't disappear."</p><p>After an awkward silence, she laughed. "I think I really like you, Aki-kun. You're too cute for your own good."</p><p>He felt a little offended. As a Hellhound, one wasn't usually accused of being "cute" very often.</p><p> </p><p>After having his wounds tended, he took a long warm bath. Apparently he was a celebrity, therefore lots of people went out of their way to make him feel comfortable, and for once he wasn't gonna let himself boycott his own comfort. He may or may not deserve to be alive when all his friends and comrades had died in battle, but this was the first time in two years he wasn't in the war zone. He deserved those few hours of peace, he'd fought as hard as the others had, and had taken on other tasks as he could blend in with humans, so he got the shit details. The "Three S's": scouting, spying and sabotage.</p><p>The black haired coyote-boy came to him with food and embarrassed apologies, trying not to look at him while he bathed. He was so hungry, he didn't mind anything. He assured the boy it was fine, and ate like the starving wolf he was. </p><p>He did relax a bit after eating, but after soaking in the hot tub, tail cleaned and free of blood now, his mind kept returning to Takato going on about talking to “the Alpha”. Was it to the wolves' alpha or... Did this super "mixed" pack have a sole leader? Was it a wolf? For some reason, these thoughts made him more restless than most of his missions had.</p><p>But as anxious as he was, he was still way too tired. After the bath, he dressed in the clothes folded neatly on the bed designated to him. The flannel shirt was a tad too tight and Aki blushed under Takatos appreciative gaze as he dressed. And even though Aki had had wanted to ask about said alpha, he never did, for as soon he laid down to 'rest his eyes a little', he passed out into a deep dreamless sleep. </p><p> </p><p>The base had been completed about a year ago, his followers and basically any non-human who ever heard about forming a resistance to the non-native invaders was welcomed within these safe walls. The bunker was a secret project he had been working on for years since he had grown up in a world were humans had hated on those they termed "beast-men". </p><p>Using his power and influence to build a massive safe haven for beast-men had been a pretentious project, and at certain points, even Kirishima had questioned the necessity of spending so much on it, in his submissive and respectful Beta way, of course. Asami had always been the Alpha among alphas, after all. </p><p>The resistance haven wasn't a palace, but it was safe, well stocked, self-sufficient and highly organized. And it was his domain. For the first time in history, so many different canid beast-men had joined in a single cause: to strive, survive and fight together against the common enemy, mankind. Their own army was training hard, their technologists and scientists working dutifully to make life underground more comfortable, and everyone else worked in their respective fields to make a strong, sophisticated community. </p><p>He knew it would take years until so many different species of canids would to adjust to sharing space with each other; but so far, so good. Being out there with no support or allies meant death or slavery at human hands, so alliances among the different species were needed. </p><p>Asami knew he wasn't working alone for the safety of them all. While he had been busy with the "safe haven" project, wolf combat packs were fighting on the front lines, dying out day by day, holding humans back so the beast-men families could scatter and hide. They, non-humans, were running out of time; they would almost all go extinct if nothing changed. But while the Grey Wolves were brave and strong, they weren't much on organizing with other packs. He couldn't blame them; there was just no safe place left or enough time for them to think of anything that wasn't engaged in immediate warfare, much less to even consider creating a place together where their puppies could be spared. </p><p>He was a wolf himself, but not one of the usual ones. His ancient breed was considered functionally extinct since there were now just a handful of them – five blood related individuals, to be precise. The threat of imminent extinction was the only reason they weren't fighting alongside the Grey Wolves themselves, but they did what they could to help out, engaging in battles whenever the base safety was threatened.</p><p>The resistance here, however, wasn't just a place to hide and nurture the young, but also a military beast-men training base, and soon enough humans would learn to fear them for real. Due to the deep abiding respect others had towards the Grey Wolves, Asami usually offered them respectable civilian status, higher military ranks, or placed them in the elite war parties, depending on their choice and their psychological state. </p><p>While Grey Wolf combat parties were generally honoured, some of these groups became particularly famous due to their fierce heroism. The most prestigious war packs were the Cerberus, the Fenrir and the Hellhounds. But over time, more and more of their bodies had started to be found. They almost never came home to their own safe havens, usually dying on the battlefield to buy others time. Their own objective wasn't dying out there, but to come back victorious; but it was just getting so difficult lately, even the search and rescue teams had been losing hope. The Cerberus pack was the first to die out. They fought bravely and finding their corpses, one by one, had been a huge blow to the community's morale. Even the foxes and dogs now felt like it were their own heroes out there, sacrificing themselves for them. And the remains of the Fenrir pack had never been found, except for one lone survivor, terribly traumatized, that had just uttered something about “they would never return”, before killing herself shortly afterwards. </p><p>The stories of how the Hellhounds had been dealing with the enemy, however, and on enemy turf, had everyone feeling proud, if not a little more hopeful, too. They knew the group was far smaller than the original formation, but they kept on going, victorious most of time, and always making the enemy pay. Some stories even featured them eating their enemies' flesh, so the respect and fear of the legendary warriors grew. Asami had been giving out missions from the base, the combat packs had to defend this or that area of the city so the haven could receive needed supplies from the outside, and sometimes he heard that the mission had been carried out by the Hellhounds themselves, and to his mind, they were undoubtedly the very best. </p><p>But recently, the reports had been grim. There was some speculation about a decisive battle 60 miles north of their location where humans were rumored to have somehow been able brought in tanks into the suburban battlefield. Because that city had nuclear power plants here and there, the use of such firepower was supposedly forbidden by international laws, but what could one expect from humans anyways? They had been destroying their own environment and breaking their own rules since the beginning. </p><p>So that night, when Kirishima received Iwasaki Takato's radio report on a lone Hellhound at the warehouse's gate, they couldn't believe it. They proceed to check the CCTV screens at the side of his desk, so they could see it for themselves. </p><p>"He's got the emblem of a blazing wolf on his armband, so he is, indeed, a Hellhound", Kirishima muttered, but all Asami could do was to stare at the young soldier's grimy face and "bent but not broken" demeanor. He was exhausted, that much was obvious, and his right leg was limping; there was dried blood showing where it had dripped from an arm and his beautiful long white tail was crusted with dry blood and filth. He sighed a few times, clearly not feeling at ease; it was easy to assess that the current situation was taking its toll. There were too many strange scents in one place, so of course he was edgy. The wolf combat parties were too busy fighting to come around and socialize, most of them didn't know about this place until ending up right here by accident. The last thing that this resistance needed was news about it to spread, so the base was kept a well hidden secret. Even now, though, forced to interact with different clans of species and their particular scents, the young soldier still looked others in the eyes. Brave and polite, in normal circumstances he was probably a sweet lad. Something instinctive within Asami told him he had to come closer; he needed to scent him. </p><p>"Who is this? What's his name?"</p><p>Iwasaki Takato, the young man that welcomed the Hellhound member at the gate, nodded at a camera as if he could talk directly to them, a few steps behind the newcomer</p><p>"Takaba Akihito, sir. Akihito is originally from his mother pack. Takato-kun recognized his scent since he had a different one from the other pup of the bunch. He had been adopted from a Grey Wolf family, but he didn't know about his biological kin."</p><p>They watched Akihito for a little while longer, Asami's insticts trying to tell him something he couldn't understand yet. </p><p>"Kirishima."</p><p>"Yes, Asami-sama."</p><p>"See to all the white wolf soldier's needs. The best meat, new clothing, a warm private bed. Also, I want a full background check, get me all the info you can about him... I won't bother him for now, and tell the others to not bother him when he's in his room; he deserves some peace and rest."</p><p> </p><p>Akihito slept for a long long time, so much so that he woke up very confused. He couldn't recognize where he was for at least half minute. </p><p>"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay" he whispered to himself as he fully woke up. The dormitory room assigned to him was his alone, for some reason. He had noticed bigger rooms with lots of bunk beds, just like a military unit. Or a prison... But he wasn't gonna complain just yet. He had to assess the situation completely before any conclusions could be drawn. He was clean, fed, and had slept well last night, so for now, he was pretty lucky. </p><p>He went to his private bathroom and found toiletries in their non-descript packages. Everything was brand new and unshared, and he felt kinda spoiled. When he was ready, he brushed his hair - not something he actually did on a regular monthly basis or anything, but that seemed proper to do in a new place like this, meeting new people. Then, he dressed in the military clothes left folded on a chair next to a tiny table. Most of his own clothes were either soiled with his friends’ blood on them, or had holes from combat here or there, so he didn't mind if they got rid of that; but his Hellhound armband had been washed and freshly ironed and lain on top of the rest, and for that he felt deeply grateful for. He didn't put it on his arm, still feeling residual shame for not disobeying orders to stay on the battlefield and<br/>
die with everyone else, but he folded it with care and tucked it under his shoulder strap, insignia proudly displayed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Takato pretended he hadn't been watching the new blonde's door for a while now from the next hallway over when the soldier he was interested in left the dormitory room. He then backed up a ways to pretend further he was just walking there and didn't notice him as he came around the corner towards him.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, hey there, Takaba-san! Sleep good?"</p><p> </p><p>"You can call me Akihito or Aki, Takato; we're pack brothers." Not really, not anymore, but it was fine. </p><p> </p><p>"Nice, thanks. So, wanna grab some breakfast?"</p><p> </p><p>"Sure."</p><p> </p><p>Akihito made sure to pay attention to where they were going, noticing how many people were about, just chatting and laughing as if the world wasn't ending outside, but after sniffing the whiff of gun oil and gun powder in the air around them, he knew what the situation was: these people were military. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The bunker was huge, more like an underground city really, there were no sky lights above their heads but they had a very high ceiling with lots of lighting, spacious areas around the structures and actual store fronts that he could see into were like buildings with different functions. He stopped by a library's open door, stunned; if this place could afford to not only have unutilized space, but care enough to have a library, then-</p><p> </p><p>"Aki, please! Kou is saving us a nice table with a view of the street! Hurry up!" </p><p> </p><p>Kou and Takato did most of the talking as Aki was too busy ogling the people passing by. It was surreal that they seemed so carefree. Was it really possibly to be fighting a war yet still be happy to a certain extent? Also, where was the food, the medical supplies, the power... where was everything else coming from? Who built this place? What did the people who fed and patched him up expect from him? </p><p> </p><p>Kou and Takato exchanged a concerned look as Akihito seemed so far away. </p><p> </p><p>"S-So..." Kou tried to think of anything to distract Akihito. "What would you like to eat? What's your favorite food?"</p><p> </p><p>Akihito frowned. "Meat." The boys stared at him, waiting. "What? You guys herbivores or something?"</p><p> </p><p>"You only eat meat?" Kou asked the question but both him and his friend leaned forward as if anything said by Aki was gonna be fascinating.  </p><p> </p><p>"I’m an Artic Wolf."</p><p> </p><p>Kou and Takato blinked several times, then exchanged another look with each other. Secretly Akihito envied their bond; he'd never really had friends that could communicate with him just by looks. </p><p> </p><p>Takato smiled "I am a Grey Wolf myself, and Kou here is a coyote-man; that means we're still half humanoid, therefore, we eat just about anything. Humans are omnivorous."</p><p> </p><p>Aki had never thought about that, actually. "Hmm, that does make sense."</p><p> </p><p>"Wait a second..." Kou said. "How did you get meat to eat? It's not like there's a bunch of prey in the city ruins waited to be hunted..."</p><p> </p><p>Takato noticed Akihito lowering his perked ears and looking aside; he was clearly unhappy. "Kou, wait..."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh!  I heard about it! The Hellhounds were known for eating the enemies' rema-..." Too late, his brain caught up with him, and he snapped his mouth shut. Akihito's demeanor showed his unbearable wretchedness. </p><p> </p><p>"I'm so sorry..." Kou flattened his ears and made with his puppy eyes. Takato thought that it wouldn't work, but Akihito smiled a tiny bit and patted his arm. </p><p> </p><p>"It's okay. We're just different."</p><p> </p><p>"He didn't mean-"</p><p> </p><p>"Takato. I understand. Feeding on humans is a little bit beyond the pale here, isn't it? Right? I didn't really think too much about it, but it must seem as taboo as eating the remains of wolves, huh. I saw them kill or maim friends many times, and I saw them as an evil infestation trying to take over; plus, many times, we were starving... Maybe I’m too different from these people here." He looked "outside" at the peaceful beast-men passing by, seemingly without a care to be had, and sighed. He had nothing in common with any of them, from his age to his size to what he'd been through in his life. He should just go back out there, kill as many of the humans as he could before getting killed himself, like the rest of the Hellhou-.</p><p> </p><p>"Aki." </p><p> </p><p> A pair of haunted hazel eyes stared back at Takato. "What is expected from me, here? What is this place? More and more, I'm sure I shouldn't be here..."</p><p> </p><p>"Akihito, wait and finish your meal, please. You'll have all the answers you're looking for soon. I was told to take you to report to the Alpha after you ate breakfast."</p><p> </p><p>There wasn't much to chat about, after that. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Alpha's h.q. (headquarters) was bigger and just a little fancier than the other buildings he'd seen, and Akihito assumed that it was located at the centre of the bunker. He had a thousand questions, but wasn't sure on where to start. For now, he kept quiet and observant. His instincts were alert and loudly buzzing, though, from the moment he stepped into the building his heart started pumping faster, so much so he had to take several deep breaths while checking his surroundings for threats. </p><p> </p><p>"You okay?" Takato asked, confused and concerned. </p><p> </p><p>The blonde was silent, lost in his own head. It had to be that trace odor he'd smelled as soon as he walked in. What kind of scent was that?</p><p> </p><p>"Aki. Aki!" Takato whispered urgently enough to get Akihito's attention. A huge blonde crew cut wolf-man was coming their way, dressed in a dark suit, sporting a stoic face. Aki could sense that this wasn't someone to mess with, simply by his scent alone. 'What kinda of wolf is he?!', he wondered, but... This wasn't the source. That scent didn't come from him, though there were lingering hints of it on his suit. So there was another person, somewhere...</p><p> </p><p>"Takaba-san? Asami-sama is waiting to speak with you. Thank you, Iwasaki-kun, for your time; have a good day", the big stolid man spoke, politely dismissing Takato in no uncertain terms. </p><p> </p><p>Akihito wondered if Takato was conscious of his own submissiveness as his ears drooped down along the sides of his head and his tail twitched nervously by his legs. </p><p> </p><p>"Thank you, sir. Have a good day, Suoh-san. See you later, Aki." And just like that, he was left alone with his behemoth escort. His scent was... different. Musty-ish, almost. Scary, in its own way... But not in the way that he'd sensed a minute ago. </p><p> </p><p> "You're not the Alpha, are you?"</p><p> </p><p>Kazumi shook his head as he regarded the younger wolf. "This way, please; follow me." And that's just what the (much!) smaller blonde did. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Going up in the elevator, that weird sensation came back, stronger, this time. His instincts were trying to warn him of something, but he couldn't understand the message, no matter how hard he tried. It was almost like a hidden danger ahead, but not quite. He wasn't scared... he was... excited. And somewhat... aroused? Huh? </p><p> </p><p>The pair exited the elevator and walked down a long hall with a flurry of activity all around them, making Akihito wonder what all this office work was about. He noticed discreetly curious glances in his direction, but by now he was already used to it. The security personnel they passed nodded to his escort with respect. </p><p> </p><p>Entering the Alpha's office, he was overwhelmed by that nameless sensation once more. His eyes fixed on the dark figure by the window, tall and dressed, of all things, in business attire. In most cases, it was the suit that made the man, but this time, the suit was nothing without the man that wore it. He had black wolf ears through his dark hair, and a long, sleek black tail, that, for a split second, Akihito could see himself, naked, wrapped with it over him like a blanket. </p><p> </p><p>'I'm still exhausted,' he told himself, fighting down a blush. 'My head isn't working right!' </p><p> </p><p>Nodding to the taller of the two, the impressive figure said "Leave us." The deep voice coming from that broad chest was doing something to Aki's insides. He couldn't understand his warring instincts' demands, so his demeanor became a weird mix of passively aggressive, with his tail tucked behind his legs, but his ears and eyes were directed forward, almost with a challenging stare - he remind himself of the mutt at the warehouse's gate: just like that dog, he knew he couldn't take this man in a fight, but he could make him understand it would be hard work to beat him. This man was an apex alpha; his scent alone was so alluring/intimidating it put Aki right on edge. </p><p> </p><p>A jackal-man he hadn't noticed off to the side moved to adjust his glasses and bowed first to his boss, and then to Akihito, who stepped back in surprise. As the other man left, he did suppose he was supposed to be some kind of "war hero" around here. Still, that kinda respect didn't feel right with him yet.</p><p> </p><p>Alone, finally, the Alpha turned to him, the unexpected surprise of how damned attractive he was made Aki even more annoyed with himself. 'I'm not a teenager with a crush, fer fuck's sake!' </p><p> </p><p>"I, am Asami Ryuichi. It's a pleasure to meet you." The dark man said, then waited, as if the name itself was supposed to be a title or something. After a moment of expectant silence didn't lead to any comment, he gave a chuckle, moved forward and offered his hand. Akihito hesitated; he didn't mean to be disrespectful, but... </p><p> </p><p>But this Asami, whoever he was, was no fool. He smirked and took back his hand, unoffended. Squinting a little, the young soldier wondered to what extend this man knew his effect on people. </p><p> </p><p>The blonde nodded. "Takaba Akihito."</p><p> </p><p>"A Hellhound, hm?" The following silence was uncomfortable for Aki but Asami seemed distracted by observing his guest. Akihito had a million questions but what he couldn't stop thinking about was that scent. He tried to sniff the air discreetly but judging by the not so concealed Alpha's raised eyebrow, he wasn't doing so well. </p><p> </p><p>"I'm a Dire Wolf, if that's what you were trying to figure out."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Akihitos eyes widened a bit, but he wasn't that surprised. Even though he had heard the Dire Wolf clans had just about died out, it made sense a Dire Wolf-man would have that kind of dominating scent. </p><p> </p><p> Asami could practically read the thoughts on the boy’s forehead. "You're rather more perceptive than the average 'grunt', aren't you?"</p><p> </p><p>"Eh, not exactly. I didn't notice Glasses was in this room until he bowed and left."</p><p> </p><p>"That's interesting." Asami stepped forward, all smooth and sexy. "Kirishima would take offence to this, but I forgot all about him when you entered the room."</p><p> </p><p>Was this Alpha flirting with him? He glanced at his reflection on the glass surface of the nearby coffee table, just to check on himself, and what looked back at him was an exhausted and battered soldier - way older than his actual age, depression in his hazel eyes, sunburnt nose and sunken cheeks along with bandages and bruises all over his arms. 'Get a grip, there's nothing here worth flirting with.'</p><p> </p><p>Asami's piercing eyes seemed to be set on cracking through his protective shell, so he broke eye contact, fully aware that this could be seen as giving into the Alpha's dominance.  </p><p> </p><p>'Focus!’ he scolded himself. "Yes, I was one of them, a Hellhound."</p><p> </p><p>"You were? I thought combat packs were for life."</p><p> </p><p>Akihito crossed his arms, scowling unhappily, looking everywhere but at the imposing man, thinking on how awesome it would be to just turn and leave. "Yeah, well, they're all dead. There are no more Hellhounds."</p><p> </p><p>"I disagree. You're here; the Hellhounds are still alive and active."</p><p> </p><p>To that, Aki didn't have an answer. He didn't know for sure where he stood now, if he was still a soldier, or if he even knew how to be anything else. The conflicting thoughts were messing with his head; at times like this he cursed his youth and inexperience outside of the endless violence. "Asami-san" he began, clearing his throat, eager to change subjects. "What kinda place is this? Are you the sole Alpha here? Who do I have to report to for debriefing... W-what do... what is expected of me? I was taken care of yesterday, but I... I have no money, nothing of value to repay the hospitality...  I don’t know what I should do now!"</p><p> </p><p>Asami came closer with measured steps and Akihito's heart beat faster. Should he bolt and run for it? But his feet were glued to the floor...</p><p> </p><p>"I will tell you everything you need to know; but first..." he circled around Akihito and stepped in even closer from behind, and the young soldier still couldn't move.”…I want to do this." His nose almost touched the nape of Akihito's neck as he bent down closer. Was he actually SCENTING him? His blonde hair stood on end. It was strangely intimate, even without physically touching. He knew it was invasive and wrong and that he should be moving away from this presumptuous bastard if not slugging him altogether, but damn, it felt GOOD.</p><p> </p><p>"That's REALLY inappropriate", he grated out.</p><p>"I know." The whisper breathed into his ear had him feeling hot chills all over. His body betrayed him, telling him to stay close. The hell with this! He stepped forward abruptly, finally getting some 'safe' distance between them. </p><p> </p><p>The Alpha didn't explain himself, but judging by the man's own hooded eyes and his reaction to his own actions, it was safe to say this Asami Ryuichi didn't understand what the hell he was doing himself. </p><p> </p><p>The bigger male cleared his throat. "This is the first base of the resistance, a community for all canid beast-men who have come through human attacks. At the moment, our war efforts have been centred on rescuing, nurturing and the final recovery of our people. To be a safe haven for any canid beast-man who's facing slavery or eradication at human hands. At the moment, we are still building other secret underground facilities. The plan is to separate military personnel from civilians so the "civvies" can rebuild their societies and grow strong peacefully while the military canid forces defend our species. So there it is: you can choose to continue fighting with a reformed Hellhounds pack, or retire and help form our military arm of the future. Either way, we can't stop, so we need everyone doing their best."</p><p> </p><p>Akihito nodded, understanding. Both options seemed equally attractive right now. He didn't have much hope or faith in the future himself, but the fact that beast-men communities were better positioned than he had anticipated was so good to hear. </p><p> </p><p>"As for leadership here, there is a pack hierarchy here: alphas, betas, gammas and deltas; from the top down. Wolves, dogs, fox, each community has their own leaders, and some of the groups that have banded together have their own elected leadership. The alphas, however, all have equal authority and they decide the laws to protect their citizens' rights and how to keep harmony among the clans."</p><p> </p><p>"Are you an alpha, then?"</p><p> </p><p> The smug bastard gave him a superior smirk. "I am the Prime Alpha. All the other alphas take their leads from me." </p><p> </p><p>Of course. Akihito made a real effort to not roll his eyes. ‘Was this guy twelve or something?' "Does that mean that I have to do whatever you tell me to? ‘Cuz I can tell you right now, kissing your ass is off the table, sir."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you forbbetaing Laine!!  💓💓</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Prime Alpha ignored his snark. "You don't have to decide now; you're tired, you're hurt and you're probably going to need time to process what's happened to you. Of course we recognize your combat skills and experience, you're a well respected member of the Wolf War Parties, so I would like to offer you a deserving promotion in a new battalion, Special Forces, for important missions into enemy territory."</p>
<p>Akihito didn't know how to react to the offer, considering he wasn't even sure he was gonna stay. And it must've shown, because the alpha was quickly reassuring. "You don't have to answer now. Stay, rest, think things over. Take your time. I know it's selfish of me to point it out as you do have a choice, but if we don't start to win more battles, our youth won't have any choices left."</p>
<p>Akihito clenched his teeth. 'Fuck the youth!' he snarled internally. He was just seventeen himself, had watched friends and family being killed on and off the front lines for years now. The only choice he'd had to make was to fight back or die. Fuck it. That's what today's reality was, better they gave up childhood mischief now if they wanted to survive. He opened his mouth to spit that out when the office door opened.</p>
<p>"Oh, hey dear." She was the most beautiful woman Aki had even seen. Her elegant figure wore a long dark red dress, and her shiny black hair was done up into an elegant bun. None of which matched the playful swing of her grey tail as she passed the alpha and gave him a whack with it; she was the picture of a happy young Dire Wolf-woman, carrying a bundle in her arms. "I came to see if you had skipped breakfast again."</p>
<p>"Aoi, good morning. May I introduce you to Takaba Akihito, from the Hellhounds war pack."</p>
<p>"Oh. But, he's just a boy..." She murmured, voice filled with sadness, coming closer to look into his face. He didn't really feel offended as her beauty was distracting. Which he thought vaguely was odd, as he didn't really didn't care much for girls.</p>
<p>"Aoi. That's not how you talk to a soldier", Asami reprimanded mildly.</p>
<p>She pouted. "My apologizes, Takaba-san, I didn't meant to be rude. I know you have fought bravely and I am touched by your courage. You have my respect and admiration. And my thanks for protecting my little family." But all her eloquent words lost any meaning to him when saw what she carried with her. "A puppy!" He all but squealed, instantly forgetting his bitterness as his tail wiggled. Akihito and the puppy stared at each in mutual awe. The little guy had the most beautiful bright golden eyes Aki has ever seen and was reaching out to him with his chubby little hand.</p>
<p>"Would you like to hold him?" The puppy's mom asked, putting the child in his arms without waiting for an answer.</p>
<p>Wait a second... Was this Asami Ryuichi's pup? ...And the perv had just scented his neck not five minutes ago?! Really!? If looks could kill, they would've needed a new Prime Alpha, 'cuz Akihito was fuming. "Is he your son?", he almost growled at the big male.</p>
<p>"Ha! He wishes! Baby Touma is all mine and Kei's. That'll make him prettier AND smarter than this one when he grows up!" she grinned, loosening up a little more with her "proud parent" boasting.</p>
<p>Asami smiled and gently poked the puppy's cheek. "This is my nephew. If he was my own pup, he'd be a lot cuter now." As if understanding AND objecting to his uncle's teasing, the pup moved his little head and bit down on his uncle's finger with all two of his tiny sharp milk teeth. "Ouch!" </p>
<p>Aoi and Aki shared a look then laughed, and she nodded at him when asked "Ms...?"</p>
<p>"Kirishima. My name is Kirishima Aoi, so call me Aoi."</p>
<p>"Well, Aoi, if you don't mind my saying, I think you're raising your son right!".</p>
<p>She laughed once again. "I always wanted strong smart pups, just so they'd bite my big brother's fingers and toes to keep him in line."</p>
<p>Akihito had never held a pup before. The warm little squirmy body in his arms, the weight, those big and curious eyes looking at him with no judgment, no expectations. To think a personality, a whole person's history, was just starting. He felt something he didn't recognize at first. The puppy's scent calmed down his internal beast, and he felt like the world wasn't so bad anymore. He closed his eyes and brushed Touma's forehead with his own. He had lost his biological family before he could remember them, and his adoptive family had died during a bombing when he was a puppy. He never belonged to a pack that wasn't in combat. He felt like he had been robbed of not only being a kid, but of being a part of regular pack life. </p>
<p>When he looked up, Asami was watching him with a inscrutable expression and his sister was going through a  purse that hadn't been there before. She produced a pink tissue she used to gently dab against Akihito's face. He hadn't noticed he had tears on his cheeks. </p>
<p>"Aw, Aki-kun!" She was a mom through and through. "Here, I think someone needs a hug." And hug him she did, without waiting for permission, her pup trapped between them. "Look, Touma fell asleep..." she cooed, gently picking up her baby from Akihito's arms. "I'm so happy you arrived safe and sound at the resistance. Touma will grow up looking up to wolves like his dad, his uncle and you. Brave and smart, protecting his family... Well, really, I have to go now," she fussed with wrestling her limp bundle and her purse for a bit, then nodded to her brother "Don't let this one here skip lunch." She gave him a look, then lifted up onto her tippy toes and kissed her brother's cheek fondly as he bent down slightly to kiss her back, then turned to leave when Aki's voice stopped her. "Can I... see him again? Touma?" He asked, blushing himself. </p>
<p>"Oh, anytime, Akihito!" And with one last flash of her smile, she swept out and they were gone. Now, there was no way the blonde felt he was gonna leave. He swore to himself that innocents like Touma were gonna have a future with no dead friends or being sent too young to the frontlines.</p>
<p>The males stood apart in silence for some time, looking through the window at the constant movement in the underground city, thinking their own thoughts. Aki broke the silence first. "So... You were talking about... a Special Forces position..."</p>
<p>"A Training Development Officer, specializing in collecting intelligence and planning forays for them, and a special advisor for me."</p>
<p>"I'm too young."</p>
<p>"You have been proving time and again to be one of the best." </p>
<p>"Who'd listen to some punk-ass kid?"</p>
<p>"If that "kid" had successfully executed as many high risk missions as you did, anyone who didn't listen would soon be dead anyway, so they'd be irrelevant." The boy nodded, starting to feel the figurative weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. </p>
<p>"Okay..." He nodded. "But I need some time to adjust to living in normal society first."</p>
<p>Asami smirked, pleased. "In that case, let me help you get started. I'll show you around the base myself, and then we'll have lunch."</p>
<p>"A-Asami, wait. Uh, this sounds kinda like..."</p>
<p>"A date? Well, didn't my darling sister just ask you to make sure I didn't skip lunch? Just a moment, then we'll go." He walked over to his desk, pressed a button on his phone and spoke into the handset. "Is Kirishima-san available? With his wife? Don't disturb them; just let him know I'm stepping away from the office for a while. ...Well, if Kirishima-san or Suoh-san need me, they can come find me. Cell phone's for emergencies only." With that, he hung up, opened a drawer, dropped a few files on the desk into it, closed it again, and briskly walked towards the bewildered death-defying fighter. Gesturing to the door behind them, he offered "Shall we go?"</p>
<p>"B-but... you're just walking away from your job? At mid-morning? Don't you have Important Stuff to do? How will you're security guys keep track of you without a heads-up?!"</p>
<p>"Well, I did just say you're going to be in charge of Training Development, right? I'd say you're developing their training in irregular tactics has just started." And with a near-mad grin, he opened the office door, collected and pushed the spluttering new officer through it, then followed himself, letting the door close behind them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Isn't Aoi the cutest girl ever?</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is not a A/B/O au, alphas and betas are just leadership roles.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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